Early childhood education and care
Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (18:44): (1674) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Children, and the action I seek is an explanation or clarification for why timelines for early education programs have been shifted – as announced in budget paper 3, page 207 – resulting in decreased grants and funding from the Department of Education. Early childhood education is one of the most powerful tools we have to set children up for the future. It is a period of critical brain development, but it is not just about learning letters or numbers. High-quality early education helps level the playing field. It gives every child the chance to build confidence and learn how to manage their emotions, and it helps with cognitive development as well as building their social skills and equipping them for starting school. These benefits are even stronger when children from mixed backgrounds learn together in the same classroom. We must also pay attention to the young children who are most at risk of being left behind as a result of these early education programs being shifted, and that includes children growing up in disadvantaged communities, Indigenous children, children with disability and children learning English as an additional language. Evidence shows that these children stand to gain the most from attending strong, supportive early learning programs. If the government is serious about inclusion and improving learning outcomes for every community, it needs to be investing in early childhood education programs, not making cuts at budget time. Minister, families and communities deserve to know why timelines around early education programs are shifting, because these decisions have real consequences and affect families. When we delay or limit access, we also risk holding children back.